Sullivan & Cromwell has joined the growing list of major law firms matching the new salary benchmark set by Milbank, effective 1 July 2026.
The move signals that the prestigious New York firm, historically known for tracking the prevailing New York market rate, has aligned itself with the latest compensation push sweeping through Biglaw.
Milbank made waves earlier this year when it raised associate salaries, putting pressure on competing firms across the sector to respond or risk losing talent.
Sullivan & Cromwell has traditionally followed the New York prevailing market when it comes to salaries, even while keeping its bonus structure notably opaque and away from public scrutiny.
The firm communicates compensation changes individually rather than through broad public announcements, which has made independent verification of the full scale more difficult.
Early tipsters suggest the firm has followed the new Milbank scale all the way up through associate classes, though a full confirmation across every class level remains outstanding.
Sullivan & Cromwell is sometimes referred to as Donald Trump’s favourite law firm, a label that has drawn significant attention to the firm’s business and compensation practices in recent months.
The Milbank scale has quickly become the standard that ambitious associates and recruitment professionals are using as the baseline for salary expectations across top-tier American firms.
Many Biglaw firms had until recently kept their response to the Milbank raise muted, choosing to wait and assess the market before committing to matching the new figures.
Sullivan & Cromwell’s decision to take the plunge suggests the competitive pressure to retain and attract top legal talent has become too significant to ignore any further.
The raises taking effect on 1 July will represent a meaningful increase in take-home pay for associates at the firm, though the bonus picture at Sullivan & Cromwell remains firmly under wraps.
Other major firms have yet to publicly confirm whether they will follow suit, and the coming weeks are expected to bring further announcements as the new compensation landscape settles across the sector.